generators and hurricanes

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
I live and work in South Florida. Evacuation is out of the question, as I'm needed at work.

Backup generators are an absolute must here.

Hurricane Matthew looks to be on a direct course for my house

I predict the power goes out by 2AM, Friday morning and remains out for an extended period. Thank goodness I have alternative power.

This is a 20HP, 15KW, "Listeroid" diesel generator that I assembled 10 years ago. It's a pretty cool setup. That's a 6 gallon outboard engine fuel tank behind it for size!

Did your gen come as a kit? I have looked at your web site and you are truly talented. Nice job. What oil do you use in the diesel?

 

[spasm3]

Thats an incredible generator Cujet!!

 

[crainholio]

I'm experiencing a case of generator envy here...an 1800RPM diesel gen project is on my bucket list. Nicely done! I have similar work responsibilities here in NJ that preclude me evacuating, and a family to keep warm, safe, and fed. Honda EU3000is gets it done every time from it's nice padlocked and vented doghouse for now. With a crankcase full of Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 changed every 3 days of continuous use, of course.
Originally Posted By: Cujet

 

[dave123]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Thats an incredible generator Cujet!!
+1 you the man.

 

[Cujet]

As luck would have it, the hurricane is at least a day away and power already went out for a few hours. Ugh.

The Listeroid did not come in a "kit" , rather, I ordered 3 of them from India, disassembled and overhauled the engines. Then welded up the frame, installed generator head and had a pulley made to my specs. typically uses 15w-40 Rotella or similar diesel oil on sale. It gets 250 hour oil changes, and has a "motorguard" bypass type filter. The Listeroid runs at 600 or 800 (plus a little) RPM, depending on which pulley I use on the generator head. It is a single pulley with 2 sizes.

I also have a well used 11HP Subaru generator, a new Honda EU2000is, a HF 800W 2 stroke and a Honda 500w old thing.

The HF 800W unit is a just a toy, and as you would expect the spark plug and fuel line went bad right away. Yesterday, the "mystery metal" fuel petcock handle just fell off in my fingertips. Tried to grab the valve's stub with pliers and it too, just mushed in the jaws! Time to get rid of that [censored] valve.

Here is a pic of us disassembling the engines. As they really need overhaul right from the start. The quality is workable, but poor. If that makes sense.

 

[SHOZ]

FWIW

NEC Requirements for Generators and Standby Power Systems, Based on the 2014 NEC

 

[JTK]

I hate to see people waste their money on these portable generators, but they do make great used fixer-upper buys for the rest of us!

 

[FastLane]

Originally Posted By: JTK
I hate to see people waste their money on these portable generators, but they do make great used fixer-upper buys for the rest of us!


That's how I got mine. The guy never ran it. It was like new other than rotten fuel lines and shut off valve.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: JTK
That's how I got mine. The guy never ran it. It was like new other than rotten fuel lines and shut off valve.

You really have to keep these guys filled with fuel stabilizers and run them frequently. I fire mine up for 10 minutes every 2-3 months, and run it under load for at least 20 minutes every six months.

Obviously I have been paying too much for my OPE. Please provide pointers on how to acquire lightly used OPE from the " way too much money but technically challenged" set.

 

[Donald]

Forget the gas and stabilizer. Propane is the only way to go. Or a heavy duty diesel.

 

[gman2304]

'You really have to keep these guys filled with fuel stabilizers and run them frequently. I fire mine up for 10 minutes every 2-3 months, and run it under load for at least 20 minutes every six months.'


^ Exactly....I've done this with my 10 year old hard wired Troybilt 5550/8550 for over a decade and it starts first pull every time. I have roughly $1,000 in it including the hard wiring. I use 93 non ethanol with stabilizer added and drain the tank and carb every two years.

 

[Cujet]

Just another viewpoint. I use VP fuels C9. It's an unleaded, storage/race fuel with 96 octane. For all practical purposes, it never goes bad.

I run my portable generators on it during periods of low use. Then run the carb out of fuel for storage.

Clearly, it's not necessary for heavy use, but for storage, it's ideal.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Forget the gas and stabilizer. Propane is the only way to go. Or a heavy duty diesel.


I would absolutely agree for fixed, standby setups. For something light and portable, gasoline is still king.

 

[dave123]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just another viewpoint. I use VP fuels C9. It's an unleaded, storage/race fuel with 96 octane. For all practical purposes, it never goes bad.

I run my portable generators on it during periods of low use. Then run the carb out of fuel for storage.

Clearly, it's not necessary for heavy use, but for storage, it's ideal.
I do the same identical plan VPracing C9 or SEF works great

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I've gone more than a week without electricity before. I was inconvenient, but I managed to live. The hardest part was having to drink warm drinks. There was no ice to be had anywhere. People today are big babies.


Try going a week, or even a couple of days with no electricity, no running water (i.e. can't flush the toilet) and temps in the 40's at night.

 

[crainholio]

Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone

Try going a week, or even a couple of days with no electricity, no running water (i.e. can't flush the toilet) and temps in the 40's at night.

I'm guessing somebody here never served in the Army or Marine Corps. They spend a lot more than a week without electricity or running water in uncomfy temps. Having had the pleasure myself, I have a generator and a backup.

 

[gman2304]

'I'm guessing somebody here never served in the Army or Marine Corps.'



^ Not with 3 kids and a wife.

 

[crainholio]

Originally Posted By: gman2304
'I'm guessing somebody here never served in the Army or Marine Corps.'

^ Not with 3 kids and a wife.

Didn't have those when I signed up at age 18.

To Hudstone's point, however...listening to my wife & kids complain about no power/water/etc. was enough incentive to invest in a generator.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: crainholio
To Hudstone's point, however...listening to my wife & kids complain about no power/water/etc. was enough incentive to invest in a generator.


Yeah, senior citizens don't handle extended power outages too well either.

 

[bubbatime]

The key to evacuating is leaving about 5 hours before the storm hits. The winds will be about 30mph, and not all that hard to drive in, and the roads will be EMPTY. Sure beats sitting in stop and go traffic for 8 hours only to go 40 miles.

As far as electricity goes, I went without electricity for TWO MONTHS during the 2004 hurricane season. Two months with the inside of my house over 100 degrees during the day, and perhaps 97 degrees at night. It was a nightmare. I wont ever do that again. I will drive 8 hours to find a small window ac unit, and cool just one room in the house down to a nice and cool 72 degrees, while using a smallish generator that doesn't use too much fuel. Those big 8500 watt gen sets will suck down so much fuel your head will spin.